The photos are of an area of the Isle of Lewis called Uig beach, where a group of chess pieces from the 12th century (carved in walrus ivory and whales teeth) were discovered in 1831 in a sand bank (exact location kept a secret). The chess pieces were believed to have been made in either Norway or Iceland (during the 12th century the Isle of Lewis was ruled by the Vikings) but how they ended up being hidden in a sand bank on this beach is unknown. They have another small claim to fame in that they were shown (replica set) in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.